Alright, I'm a bit all over with trying to figure out the engine choice to use in my '56 F600.

First off, I plan on the truck being a 4x4, running wheels that are about 37" and a foot wide (sitting low, to put into reference the wheels in my signature are the same height, but thinner, the front will raise up about 4" with a Dana 60 up there). The truck is planned for a daily driver but one that will still see some good use. I'd like to be able to use it in the winter daily (around here plugging your car in at night is mandatory in the winter) and once and a while up in the mountains. I'm very much not wanting to limit the truck, but it is made to be an all around daily driver, so even the freeway at times (though not much). I'm planning around 4.10 gears (keep in mind tire size), the 5.83/8.11 I'm running now limits my top speed quite a bit, though to be honest I've yet to try to go faster than 30mph in it, lol.


I currently have a 272HD in my truck, as well as a 5 spd behind it (factory, about 24,000miles, it worked in a gold mine for the first 50 years of it's life). A little while back my truck was hit by another one of my cars as someone hit that car so hard it totaled it and drove it back 6 feet into my truck. This popped a lot of seals loose, I need to fix the rear main seal and the coolant area up front now, though it did work just fine till I stopped and noticed the puddles under my car, lol.




Now I know they make aftermarket performance parts for these, but in truth I don't want to start spending loads of cash to find out it's not going to work enough for me. But I do love that Y-block sound and the feel of it (its vintage, no other way to put it, and thats why I wanted a vintage truck, for all the vintage, lol), but I will need to be able to get some decent power and mileage out of it (I don't mean like 30mpg, but better than 5mpg).


So is the 272 a good place to start or should I start by trying to find a larger Y-block first? The one I have is in great condition, and though it's not the largest engine if it can do the job that's all that matters. But it's hard to put $2000 into an engine if it's going to just barely do the job over putting it into something else that will do more so (I don't know what the y-blocks can do, that's why I'm asking... I also don't have $2000 to put into an engine, lol)

Is this something that can be upgraded enough through intake and exhaust, or am I going to have to take the whole thing apart? If it was needing that there is a good chance I'd just fix the 272 to drive right now and build another engine up to swap out. I can't have it sitting without an engine on it (has to be on the street right now). I had been debating a 5.9 Cummins, but I think for what I want if I can get a Y-block to do the same it would have a much cooler effect.

The truck is a business truck and how it comes across could do much for my work. I'd like to retain the 50s feel and sound, but right now I need to find out what way I will have to go with the powertrain. I don't know the Y-blocks capabilities or the expense or difficulties with them, but if there is a way that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg over another route, I'd like to keep a Y-block in there.



Thoughts? Opinions?

 

Do you have any 4X4 drivetrain parts already? Do you really need them if your not gonna do a lot of off-road? Your running a 2 speed rear right now? Try to find an old dodge chassis motor home with 6 lug axles. They are the same as a F600. Will have tubeless rims probably. The axle ratio will be better, like 488. Get the brake booster too. Put aggressive snow tires on it, and some sandbags out back, ans you'll go just about anywhere in the snow

 

The 4x4 comes in very handy around here. I might not need it, but I do want it. It was the plan for my truck before I had even found this one, I had just lucked out in finding something that could drive.

 

I'd find a bigger Y, maybe even go with a Lincoln Y but this presents other drive train issues. You have a big truck and if you want significantly better performance, you'll need the torque a larger engine will produce. For almost any Y, though, you will very likely need more than $2000 to rebuild it right. A better option might be to find a running engine to buy and swap.
I don't know how this will affect your fuel mileage, though. If you enhanced the 272, you can definitely get better performance and fuel mileage but I'm not sure how a significantly larger engine will affect that. A larger engine will produce more torque so it won't have to work as hard but it may require enough more fuel that mileage really doesn't improve. In any case, don't expect anything phenomenal - you have the wrong vehicle for that.
And you can always turbo charge the 272.

 

Yeah I'm not looking to build it up right now, just looking for something that will do the job and trying to see if the 272 in there can do it. I had been told they where known for their torque but I haven't been able to find any information of what they make when they've been improved.

The turbo charger doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll probably end up running a diesel in there, but all the same I'm trying to find out what the 272 could do. If I needed a bigger Y, I would probably just go diesel, this is more of a working with what I have idea.

Thanks for the input.

 

Well, it came in the truck and worked in a gold mine, so I'd say it can do it. A 272 or any Y for that matter will respond the same way to the typical modifications performed on any other engine. Without performing expensive modifications, i think you can find a 10-20% increase in torque. Do you think that will be enough considering how it feels now? You can get even more out of it, but it costs $$.
If you don't have $2000 to put into an engine and some other option is available that you can put in for less than $2000, forget the Y. For what it sounds like you want, I think you're looking at a $3000 to $4000 Y at least. And i don't know what your experience is, but an engine swap of any kind can get expensive so really figure out what the cost will be before you proceed. If you switch to an entirely different engine, even a Lincoln Y, you will have other drive train issues to resolve as well because no other engine will mount to a Y bellhousing. With a diesel, all of the mounts will have to be fabbed. Then there are other things like fuel lines, linkages, brackets, etc. If you can't do this yourself and have to hire someone to do it, forget about it.

 

Fuel economy with any gas engine will be at best in the 9 to 12 MPG range with the 4.10 ratio and the tires you describe on your truck, unless you go with a fairly late model computer controlled fuel injected engine. I base this estimate on what people I know got in one ton pickups from the 60s and 70s with mid size V8s.

For what it is worth, I had a 77 F250 4x4, 4 speed, 4.10 axles, 12.00 x 16.5 tires, with a 351M. In stock form it was ok. With a few "upgrades" (carb, intake, exhaust, cam) it performed well, even with about 4000 lb in the bed. Accelerated nicely, but was loud at speeds over 55 (forget about hearing the radio loud). Fuel economy averaged about 10 to 11 overall, and I got as much as 15 MPG cruising at a steady 45 to 50 with no wind and running empty. City driving was about 8 MPG.

 

What you need to put in it is and old 2 stroke detroit diesel but that would be exspensive to